Paris
August 2002
The Eiffel Tower in the
fog.
Liese and Tim on the lowest
of the Eiffel Tower's three observation decks.
One of the impressive legs
of the tower viewed from the first floor.
As you can see, lines to
go up were almost non-existent on this foggy day with zero visibility.
Everybody was trying to
get into the Louvre instead. We gave up when we saw the
ticket lines there, thus
successfully avoiding what our Lonely Pla
guidebook called "the most
avoided museum in the world."
Robijn and Deb on the Eiffel
Tower.
Portion of the original
staircase behind us.
Back on the ground.
This is France's Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame.
It's under the Arc d'Triomphe
at the end of the Champs Elysee.
Markers along the River
Seine for members of the French Resistance who were killed by the Nazis
in World War II.
The victim on the right
was only 17 years old. Almost all members of the Resistance were Parisians.
Crossing the River Seine
from left bank to right.
Looking for Inspector Javert's
body floating around somewhere...
Classy building on the right
bank.
Liese was completely into
these Smart cars we
saw all over Paris,
tiny little things that
can fit into a quarter of a parking space!
Tim and another variation
on a Smart car.
On our second night
in Paris the four of us saw the great British band Coldplay at L'Olympia,
near L'Opera.
The sold-out ("complet")
concert was broadcast live over French television and later shown in the
US.
It was one of the best shows
we've ever seen and their new album, A
Rush of Blood to the Head, is incredibly good.
It was released the day
of the Paris show and entered the charts at #1 in the UK, #2 in Australia,
and #5 in the US.
Liese and Deb could relate
to this billboard promoting walking, skating and
biking in the city and featuring
what we thought of as "bloody toes."
We were both breaking in
new shoes while walking miles around Paris.
At one point Liese could
hardly take it anymore.
Robijn had to persuade her
to keep going!
Deb, Tim and Liese enter
the Luxembourg Gardens, Paris' version of Central Park,
right around the corner
from our hotel in St. Germain des Pres.
It's only 10 am, but Tim's
already munching
his second chocolate-and-banana
crepe of the day.
Liese watches Deb read the
International
Herald Tribune in the Gardens.
Little kids rent miniature
boats, give them a push with a stick and watch them sail away...
Tim and Liese by the boating
pond.
Tim, Luxembourg Gardens.
On to Amsterdam
On to Brabant
On to Languedoc
Back to THP
